Causes of Toenail Fungus: Symptoms and Treatment

Nail fungus is a disease caused by different groups of pathogens. To destroy it, you need to undergo a diagnosis to identify all the features of the disease. What are the causes of its occurrence? There are many reasons for a yeast infection to occur, the prerequisites for its occurrence.

Genetic causes of the disease

Fungal spores have been found on various surfaces for years. A person often encounters pathogenic microorganisms, but infection does not always occur. For nail fungus to occur, there must be accommodative factors. The infection must have the conditions for it to develop. Scientists have done a lot of research on the mechanism by which the disease breaks out.

It turned out that one of the factors contributing to the occurrence of a fungal infection is a genetic predisposition. According to research, mycosis is most common in people whose relatives have a similar condition. The progression of the disease affects the genetic level.

Interesting cases of infection when living together. It is easiest to develop mycoses when they are in close contact. However, it often develops in one household but does not affect the other. And the disease usually occurs in the person who has the genes most similar to the person who originally developed mycosis. According to all of this data, proximity to an infection is of less importance than proximity to genetic ties.

Symptoms of a mycosis

Nail fungus manifests itself in different ways at different stages. Typically, a mycoses infection begins with the interdigital spaces. At the moment there is:

• The appearance of bubbles;
• Reddening of the skin;
• Itching.

If treatment is not carried out at this stage, the disease will begin to affect the nails. When this happens, the following signs are recognized:

1. Dullness of the nail plate, loss of transparency as a result;
2. The appearance of white stripes, spots;
3. Uncomfortable sensations.

It is better to do the treatment at this stage, as it will lower the cost of therapy. To destroy microorganisms, external preparations are enough: ointments, varnishes. If you don't do anything, the nail fungus will progress. This manifests itself in the following symptoms:

• Thinning or thickening of the nail;
• Peeling the nail plate;
• Departure from the nail bed;
• The plate takes on an abnormal color: turns white, yellow, or black;
• In the latter stages, the nail literally crumbles, collapses, and an unpleasant smell may appear.

Mycosis exerts its pathological activity not only on the toenails. Inflammatory processes take up the entire foot.

It begins to blush, peel off. The patient feels itching, which increases with phases of exacerbation. The presence of characteristic signs allows you to determine the disease at the initial examination.

Types of fungal infections

Nail fungus is divided into types depending on the group of microorganisms caused by it. There are three main groups:

1. Dermatophytes.The most common case. This group is the cause of mycoses in 95% of cases;
2. Candidate.These yeast-like microorganisms contribute to the thinning of the nail plate. She begins to turn yellow and lags behind her bed. The lesion begins with the nail fold. As the disease develops, swelling appears. In some cases, there may be a discharge of pus. The skin of the plate stops growing and therefore turns brown. The nail is crumbling. These groups of microorganisms usually develop in women. There are risk groups - housewives who constantly deal with household chemicals. It acts aggressively on the skin, which opens the "doors" for infection;
3. Moldy species.These groups of microorganisms cannot penetrate deeply into the nail plate. This cannot completely destroy it, but the disease has other effects. The nail changes color a lot. It can take on a black, blue, green hue.

Treatment depends on the group of microorganisms, as different pathogenic microbes react differently to drugs. Sometimes three types of fungus are identified when diagnosed. In this case, complex therapy is required.

Mushroom shapes

There are several stages of the disease, which differ in the type of lesions:

1. Normotropic.The color of the nail plate changes. It can turn yellow, lose transparency. White and yellow stripes or spots appear. The difference between the disease is that the nail does not experience significant deformations. Sometimes it even retains its former luster;
2. Atrophic.The nail becomes thinner, completely loses its shine. There are pronounced white and yellow stripes, points that represent special foci of infection;
3. Hypertrophic.The plate changes significantly. Thickening, signs of crumbling are observed. It becomes porous. Pronounced pain syndrome is also possible, worsening with movement and wearing tight shoes. The disease can limit a person's activity.

The prescribed regimen of treatment depends on the stage, as well as the type of microorganisms. In the first phases, external agents have proven their worth. In the later stages, the regimen usually consists of a combination of topical and oral medications.

Where can you get a mushroom?

Nail fungus is usually transmitted from person to person. Microorganism spores can remain on surfaces. If you touch them, the fungus will stay on your feet and begin to develop. You can get mycoses in the following places:

• Public facilities: saunas, swimming pools, showers from sports clubs. This is the most likely way to get the fungus, as it is most actively reproducing in warm and humid conditions. To protect yourself from this, it is necessary to conduct preventive treatment of the feet with medication before visiting the facility. You must have your own slippers with you;
• If mycosis occurs in a household, a likely avenue for the onset of the disease in other family members is a bath. Spores of the fungus remain on the walls, causing mycoses. For protection, it is necessary to treat surfaces with disinfectants after each visit to the bathroom;
• Sometimes the reason is a manicure or pedicure performed with instruments that have not been disinfected after the last use. This refers to the procedures that are carried out in beauty salons;
• Disputes can lurk in the shoes in the store as they are often tried on by different people. For protection, you can only measure shoes at the tip;
• A less likely source of infection are public beaches, as nail fungus does not survive well in salted sand.

To prevent illness, one should not forget the importance of personal slippers and take prophylactic measures.

Possible complications with prolonged treatment

The speed of development and spread is characteristic of mycoses. If you are late with treatment, the symptoms of the disease will become more and more pronounced. First of all, a person is worried about the aesthetic factor, as thickenings, white dots appear on the toenails. But if you do not fight the problem, more serious consequences will appear - pain during movement, itching and burning. Let's consider the most likely consequences of prolonged treatment:

• Other infections are likely when the body becomes weakened;
• Exacerbation of diabetes mellitus. The appearance against the background of an infectious process, gangrene or infection of bone tissue. All of these can result in the need for a limb amputation;
• If the nail fungus is not treated for a long time, the body can react to it with hypersensitivity and allergic reactions. Against this background, allergic dermatitis, skin diseases, bronchial asthma are aggravated;
• The extreme stage of mycosis is damage to the internal organs. The infection begins to spread throughout the body. This can be fatal.

Another important consequence of not starting therapy on time is significant financial costs. In the latter stages, the disease is not only more difficult to treat, but also more expensive. We have to spend money on local procedures, pills. Really effective drugs are more expensive. In some cases, surgery can even be ordered.

Precautions

Nail fungus can be prevented, which is what preventive measures are aimed at. They allow you to prevent a pathogenic microorganism from entering and spreading further. Prevention is very simple and consists in following the tips below:

• Elimination of tight shoes, incorrectly selected lasts. All this leads to the appearance of corns and other deformations, through which the infection gets inside;
• Avoid wearing synthetic socks and tights as your feet will sweat. Sweat and a damp environment are the best conditions for the fungus to grow;
• It is necessary to observe personal hygiene, wear slippers in public places indoors, conduct pre-treatment of the feet with prophylactic agents;
• After every foot wash, the interdigital areas are thoroughly dried;
• The change of socks and stockings should be done daily;
• You cannot wear someone else's shoes;
• The house must be kept clean, for which regular disinfection is carried out.

Prevention has two goals - preventing an infection from entering and stopping its development if spores can enter. To achieve the second goal, you need to take care of your immune system: exercise, eat right.

Treatment methods

Nail fungus usually takes a long time to heal. The duration of therapy, regardless of the cause of the disease, is from 6 months to a year. The advantage is that most medications can treat symptoms quickly. However, despite the disappearance of symptoms, it is necessary to continue therapy until the microorganisms are completely destroyed.

External drugs are used for early-stage treatment. These include:

1. Special paints;
2. Creams and gels;
3. Solutions and tinctures.

In the later stages, oral drugs are added to external drugs:

• Tablets;
• Antibiotics

Paints are particularly popular. They have two effects: They destroy existing microorganisms and form a film that prevents the penetration of new infections. The tool can penetrate deep into the nail. It is colorless and odorless, so it can be used by men. It is recommended to remove the nail plate before use to ensure deeper penetration.

Ointments and gels are gentle. They are easy to use. Relieve symptoms quickly. With the help of drugs, you can treat not only nails, but also the skin around them. The downside is that the product can wear off the skin quickly. To prevent this, compresses can be performed: a cotton pad is placed on the layer of ointment and fixed with a bandage.

In severe cases, tablets are prescribed. This remedy has a powerful effect, it is toxic and has contraindications. For this reason, the therapy is carried out under medical supervision.

If the case is completely neglected, surgical intervention comes to the rescue. During the operation, the affected nail is removed. Its removal can be done without surgery. To do this, special funds are used. The last option is painless.

Nail fungus is a very common problem. Its insidiousness lies in the fact that the signs of the disease are insignificant in the early stages. The patient can constantly postpone treatment as he does not feel uncomfortable. All of this leads to neglect of the problem. To solve it, you will need a lot of money and medicine. Mycoses spread quickly, causing pain, plate detachment, unpleasant smells, and nail changes.